


Right By Your Side

by almwolfhunter07



Series: Post season headcannons [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Archmage Callum (The Dragon Prince), F/M, Limbo, moon nexus, rayla meets sarai!, those blasted coins
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-03 19:20:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,156
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24690679
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/almwolfhunter07/pseuds/almwolfhunter07
Summary: Finally, Callum has discovered how to save Rayla's parents from their coin prison. It will require him to pass into limbo, the realm between life and death, and help guide the souls back to the living. When crossing over, though, Rayla takes an unexpected trip and finds herself in the Katolis castle, with a mysterious figure waiting for her...
Relationships: Callum & Sarai (The Dragon Prince), Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince), Harrow/Sarai (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Post season headcannons [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1763134
Comments: 10
Kudos: 72





	Right By Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> Hey everyone! Hope you guys are staying safe during this crazy time!
> 
> This story was inspired by my very annoying need for Sarai and Rayla to eventually meet. Even if it won't ever come true, I still hold up hope. This is just my take on what could happened to allow them to meet, so I hope you guys enjoy. Also, shout out to the novelization of moon to give me even more content to work with.
> 
> Enjoy!

Callum stared intensely at the spell, studying the twists and turns of the dance that he would have to do. Rayla and him were on their way to the moon nexus, following a lead on the coins. After their encounter with Viren and Aaravos at the Battle of the Storm Spire, they had been researching the mysterious coins that Viren had dropped after Rayla had tackled him off the pinnacle.

While that moment had been the scariest in Callum's life, they never would have guessed the impact it would have on their lives. When Rayla had discovered the coins and their dark secret, Callum had sworn that he would do everything in his power to never see her in that state again. The anguish she had felt when discovering her family trapped in the coins would forever haunt him.

He had then poured himself into his research. Unfortunately, due to his training as a mage, it was often put on the back burner, but after a year of off and on research, Callum thinks he finally found a solution. Something Lujanne had told him about a long time ago stuck out to him. From what he read about the coins, the prisoner's soul was trapped in limbo, a realm between life and death. This theory was proven plausible on their last visit to the Silvergrove, where they found Runaan's spirit flower only partially sunk. Ethari had claimed he had never seen anything like it, but given how rare this spell seemed, Callum wasn't surprised.

This had only strengthened his hypothesis. If these prisoners were trapped between life and death, then he would have to go there and get them. Rayla seemed apprehensive, but he had a good feeling about this. The ancient moonshadow elves would dance at the moon nexus in order to cross over to this “limbo”, maybe he could as well in order to rescue Rayla’s family. 

Before they had left the Storm Spire, he had sent a letter to Lujanne, describing the ordeal and asking about the ritual. Lujanne had told him that the ritual was very ancient, not many still knew how it even worked. Fortunately, the ancient dance had been inscribed within the sacred temples that still stood at the nexus, and Lujanne had been kind enough to transcribe and translate anything that may help them with the spell. Now, they were on their way to the nexus to attempt the dance. 

Rayla chuckled as he stumbled over his own two feet, once again. “Come now, oh powerful mage, you can’t possibly expect to cross over with two left feet?”

Callum groaned. “I don’t understand how anyone could do this.”

Rayla rolled her eyes. “It’s easy, come on, let’s try again. Just think about the dance to get in the Silvergrove, the steps seem similar enough.”

“Yeah, the dance I failed at the first time, only come to find out that I was making a fool of myself in front of you for no reason!” Callum grumbled, getting into his starting position, once again.

Rayla smiled and walked up, grabbing his face and placing a sweet kiss on his nose. “And it was very cute and charming. I still fell for you, didn’t?”

Callum grinned, kissing her back, sweetly. “I think I fell harder.”

Rayla blushed. One win for Callum. With one more shared kiss, Rayla got into her starting position. They practiced for about half an hour before they called it a night. They still had a half a month to perfect it, until the full moon gave him the power to cross over. 

~~~

They arrived at the moon nexus a few days before the moon would be full. Ellis and Ava had met up with them at the base of the Cursed Caldera, excited to once again travel to the nexus. Ellis chated excitedly with Callum, saying how amazing it was that he had connected with the Sky and moon arcanum, and how she, herself, hoped to connect to an arcanum of her ow n. Callum had been pleased to hear that, encouraging her to try. 

The trip up to the nexus went much smoother now that they understood the crazy monsters were actually just crazy illusions. The closer they got, the more empowered Rayla felt. The nexus always made her feel like she could do anything, which was nice given the seemingly impossible task that they had come to do. It would not be easy. Given what Lujanne had taken from the inscripted text, Callum would have to cross over to this limbo and guide the souls out, one-by-one. 

Rayla would have offered to do it herself, but she had never been good at magic. Callum had told her not to worry about it, but that didn’t erase the guilty feeling she had. Crossing over was dangerous, according to Lujanne. If anything happened to Callum, she doesn’t know if she could forgive herself.

All these thoughts going through her head seemed to culminate as they reached the pinnacle of the Caldera, the wide gates that led to the moon nexus opened up before them, as though welcoming them in. Callum and Ellis went on, but Rayla hesitated. She couldn’t stop the sudden thoughts that began racing through her head, like what if this was the last time she and Callum got to travel together? If something happened and he was lost forever…

A hand gently cupped her face. She startled, realizing she had begun to cry.

“Rayla, what’s wrong, you can talk to me.” She looked into Callum’s warm, spring green eyes. Over his shoulder she saw Ellis and Ava move on, out of ear shot, giving them the privacy they needed. 

Thankful, Rayla finally crumbled. She leapt into Callum’s arms and hugged him tight, afraid to let go. She hated being so emotional, so vulnerable, but Callum made her feel heard, without making her feel weak. It was one of the many things that Rayla loved about him. 

“I’m so scared of losing you. What if the spell goes wrong and you become stuck, I won’t be able to save you. I-I can’t lose anyone else, I couldn’t handle it. I-”

“Rayla.” He said, soft but firm, interrupting her spiraling thoughts. “Rayla, I know how you’re feeling, but I need to do this. It’s the same feeling I had about turning my mom’s spear into my staff, it wouldn’t feel right if I just abandoned the thought, knowing that I had the power to do something. I know you’re scared, but I’m begging you to trust me. Lujanne said I’ll be alone in the limbo, but I won’t be. You’re always with me Rayla, in my heart, so I need to know I have your full support.”

Rayla sniffed, taking a shaking breath. “Of course you have my support. I’m just so used to being there to help in case something goes wrong, it makes me nervous when I can’t be… but you’re right, I have to trust you. While I’m scared, I understand your need to do this, because that’s just who you are, ya selfless human.”

Callum smiled and gave her a kiss on the forehead, full of love and care. He grabbed her hand, linking their fingers, before pulling her along the path, never letting go as they made their way to where Lujanne was waiting. 

~~~

Finally, the night of the full moon arrived. Callum and Rayla walked to where the ritual would be held, Callum leading the way with Rayla right behind him. The power of the full moon coursed through Rayla. She felt amazing, being at the nexus with the full moon’s power made her feel invincible. She recalled the first time there was a storm at the Storm Spire (despite the name, it’s a rare occurrence). Callum had remarked at how powerful he felt, like he could do anything. Now, Rayla hoped with his new found connection to the moon arcanum, he held the same gusto. 

When they reached the ruins that once housed the dance to bridge the gap between life and death, Lujanne and Ellis were already waiting for them. Nothing about the place looked otherworldly, but Rayla could feel it, like something deep in her bones. There was a strong grip from ancient magic that coated everything in the area, almost begging to be released. 

Rayla saw Callum could feel it to, the intense look he got in his eyes whenever he used magic shone in the full moon’s light. Eager to get started, the mage walked over to Lujanne and handed his supplies to her. He looked back at Rayla and grabbed his staff from his back, holding it out for her to take. It warmed her heart that he trusted her with it. Being repurposed from his mother’s spear, it was the last thing he had left of her, and it quickly became the item he cherished most, even more than his iconic scarf that had belonged to his biological father. 

She accepted the spear, trying not to show how worried she was as she gave him a loving smile. Content his staff was in safe hands, Callum turned to Lujanne. 

“I’m ready to begin.”

Lujanne nodded. “You have the dance down, are even a bit graceful with the movements. Unfortunately, I do not know what will happen once you are in limbo, so be ready for anything.”

Callum nodded before turning to Ellis. “Make sure you put out the coins, leaving enough space between them so that everyone can get out safely.”

Ellis nodded, grabbing the bag of coins, placing each six feet from one another, close to the group. 

Callum turned to Rayla, but she smiled, cutting him off. “‘Make sure to help the prisoners when they’re led out.’” She teased, repeating what he has said a million times before. 

He laughed and pulled her into a hug. She squeezed him tightly to her, reluctant to ever let go. Eventually, they pulled apart and, with one last smile, he began to walk towards the center of the ruined temple. Suddenly, an idea struck Rayla, and she ran towards Callum.

“Wait!” He turned around, surprised. “I want you to have these while you’re in there.” She held out her butterfly blades to him. “I don’t know anything about all this magic stuff, but I just got this feelin’ that havin’ my blades will help you return. Like an anchor…” or lifeline, she thought, too afraid to say it. 

He smiled at her, gently taking the blades from her, snapping them to his belt. “Thank you.”

With one last kiss, he got into position and Rayla returned to the group. Now, the moon was directly overhead. If the entire temple wasn’t in ruins, Rayla could only imagine the top being open, the moon creating an ethereal roof overhead. She turned her attention to Callum as he began to dance. 

It wasn’t often she got to watch as an outsider, more often she was right next to him, fixing his stance, judging his bad posture and congratulating him when he danced well. Now, looking from outside, she was shocked to find that the clumsy oaf actually danced, somewhat, well. His stance was still a bit awkward, movements a little unsure, but he was dancing. As he waltzed around the ruin, runes began to appear at his feet, following the circumference of the moon above. As the dance continued, a silvery light encased the ruin. Rayla watched in awe as the temple began to repair itself, the ghostly images of the destroyed stone building itself, until the temple stood as it once had many years ago. 

Much as Rayla expected, the roof was open, the ghostly architrave encircling the moon. Around them, mist began to surround the temple, enclosing them on all sides. As much as it should have unnerved her, Rayla felt at peace. Whatever was happening here was of no danger to her. 

Then, out of the mist came the ghosts. Like the temple, the apparitions were seemingly made of moonlight. They walked in like nothing was wrong, and, after a brief pause, they began to dance, following Callum’s lead. 

“What are these things?” Rayla turned to Lujanne, who looked as stunned as Rayla felt. 

“These are our ancestors! The ghosts of the ancient moonshadow elves that used to inhabit these lands all those years ago. They must have crossed over when they felt the barrier weakening, and now they’re joining Callum in the dance.” She answered, so engrossed in the ritual, she didn’t even look away when she spoke. 

Rayla turned back as the dance began to end. Just as Callum and the ghosts took the last position, a blinding light filled the temple as the runes on the ground began to glow. As soon as it happened, it stopped, and Callum sunk to his knees, his head bowed. 

“Callum!” Rayla's heart stopped, panic engulfed her as she ran to him. 

“Rayla, no!” Lujanne exclaimed, but it was too late. 

The moment Rayla touched Callum’s shoulder to check if he was alright, the world tilted and she was falling, the full moon’s light the last thing she saw before everything faded to black. 

~~~

Rayla wasn’t sure what happened, but somehow she ended up in the king’s chamber within the Katolis castle. She vaguely remembered visiting this place on their last visit for Ez’s birthday. Now, it was filled with a dense fog, so thick you couldn’t see from one side of the room to the other. 

‘So this is definitely a dream.’ Rayla thought as she gazed around the room, apprehensively. 

A figure on the bed caught her attention. They looked oddly familiar, with long, dark hair that spilled in a loose braid down their back. They wore a dress, similar cut and trim as Ez and Callum’s clothes. Around their head was a ghostly golden circlet, a mark of Katolis royalty . Finally, the figure turned, and Rayla stifled a gasp when she realized who it was.

It was Callum and Ez’s mother, Queen Sarai.

Rayla blinked, as Queen Sarai caught her eye. “Rayla!” The queen said, gesturing her over. “I am so glad you’re here. I’ve been hoping to meet you for so long!”

But Rayla stayed put, still weary. “How do you know who I am? And how are you here, what is this place… I’m not dead, am I?”

Queen Sarai laughed. “Oh no, no, nothing like that. This place, this is limbo, the realm between the living in the dead. I’ve been waiting here for a long time, watching over my sons.”

“You… watch over them?” Rayla blinked as Queen Sarai nodded sadly. 

“You see, Rayla, when I died, there was still so much that I had yet to accomplish. I couldn’t cross over alone, knowing that my sons had just lost their mother, and that my husband had just lost a wife. It was difficult to watch as they tried to move on without me, knowing that I couldn’t do anything… Callum especially, I don’t think I have ever seen him struggle so much. While I can’t interact with them directly, I can guide them. I don’t know if you recall the time you dropped the Dragon Prince egg into the lake?”

Rayla shuttered. “It was one of the scariest moments of my life… why?”

Queen Sarai smiled, gazing over Rayla’s shoulder as though thinking back on the memory. “Who do you think guided Ezran down into the darkness to find it? And who do you think lead Ezran to the egg in the first place? I can’t be there physically, but there are certain times when the veil between life and death is weakened, and I can help my boys as much as I can.”

Rayla looked down, she supposed it made sense. The day the egg fell in the lake, Ez had nearly escaped death, same with the day of the assassination. Each time, Ez had been close to death, and each time, Queen Sarai helped him to avoid that fate. But now…

“That still doesn’t explain why I am here, why am I in limbo?” She asked, shifting restlessly.

The queen smiled. “You crossed over with Callum when you touched him.” Her eyes fell to Callum’s staff that was strapped to her back, and she smiled. “You two have a strong connection, it wasn’t hard for you to follow.”

Rayla glanced at the spear and took it. Of course, this had been Sarai’s spear before it had been used for horrendous deeds, to slay the latest king of the dragons. She glanced up at Sarai, before slowly starting forward. The queen seemed shocked, before slowly taking in her old weapon. She didn’t reach out to grasp it, just stared at it with a pleased look in her eye.

“I am grateful to you and Callum for saving this spear. I never wanted it to be used for something so cruel as to slay Avizandum… I know Harrow was in a dark place, and Viren’s coaxing certainly didn’t help, but I was sickened by the act. Now, though, I can finally be at peace with it all.”

“That’s what Callum wanted!” Rayla rushed to say. “He said you wouldn’t have wanted the spear to be used as a weapon for destruction, but a tool for peace.”

Queen Sarai smiled. “Callum has grown up so much, Ezran as well… I could not be more proud of them.”

Rayla blinked, wondering where Callum was. If she had come into limbo with him, shouldn’t he be here?

The queen seemed to read her mind as she gazed at Rayla with a thoughtful look. “If you are looking for my son, he is not here.”

“Where is he?”

Sarai’s eyes darkened. “Callum is in a very delicate place right now. I can’t say I’m comfortable with his decision to carry out this mission, given the risk, but I know why he did it.”

The look she gave Rayla made her blush. Queen Sarai was obviously aware of her and Callum’s relationship. 

Rayla’s face made Sarai laugh. “ Oh, Rayla, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t laugh. What you have done for my son is more than I could have ever asked for.”

Rayla tilted her head, confused. “What do you mean?”

“Callum has never been the prince that people want to see him as, he wasn’t born royalty. He grew up with a humble upbringing, so being shoved into that royal lifestyle was a complete culture shock to him. It was not surprising to me that he never picked up all those princely tasks, but I did worry that he would never find himself in that place. But, you coming into his life, even if it was an accident, led him to truly discover himself. Now look at him, a fully realized mage, doing all he can for the one he loves.”

Rayla hunched her shoulders. “Ya know, I never wanted him to do this, it’s just too dangerous. But I couldn’t convince him not too…”

Sarai laughed. “He gets that stubborn spirit from me, I’m afraid.”

“Do you think he’ll be ok?” Rayla asked, worried. 

Sarai stared off again, contemplating. “He is doing something that I am clueless of… leading souls out of limbo has never been attempted before, but if I know Callum, he’s the best man for the job. His tenacity and tender heart won’t steer him wrong… I just can’t fathom that Viren would do something so terrible.”

Rayla huffed. “Well, I can, he’s a monster.”

Sarai sighed and glanced away. “You must understand, I knew Viren before he became this bitter shell of a man constantly seeking revenge. He was Harrow’s best friend, his most trusted advisor, I didn’t always agree on his thoughts and actions, my distaste for dark magic was clear, but for him to do something as despicable as trapping people’s souls in limbo, not allowing them to even rest in peace, it is inhuman… I am sad to see him act like this; the Viren I once knew seems to have faded a long time ago.”

Rayla didn’t know what to say. She had only ever known Viren as the monster that took her parents from her, that stole the dragon egg, the one who spurred the king to kill Avizandum, the one who led to the death of King Harrow. He was a monster… the idea that he had been anything but, it was absurd. However, given the stricken look on Sarai’s face, Rayla opted to leave her opinions to herself.

Sarai let out a breath and closed her eyes. When she opened them again, her body seemed to be fading in and out. “Our time is coming to the end, it seems the connection is waning.”

Rayla blinked and looked around. Sure enough the room seemed to be fading into the fog, until only the bed remained. Sarai glanced at Rayla and smiled. “It was wonderful to meet you Rayla, I have been hoping for this chance for a long time, and I’m glad it came before it was time for me to go.”

“Go? You're finally passing over?” Rayla asked. 

Sarai nodded. “I have watched my boys grow into two fine young men. They do not need me looking after them anymore, they have others to do that.” She winked at Rayla, who returned it with a small smile. 

“Your son is a handful, your majesty, but he is my whole world, I would protect him with my life.”

“And he would do the same for you, it’s what you do when you love someone… if only I had been there for Harrow…”

Rayla felt her heart clench. “Queen Sarai, I-”

The queen cut her off. “I do not blame you, Rayla, many factors lead to his demise, his own stubbornness was one of them. But I do wonder where he is, he would not have gone to the afterlife without me… I wonder…" She paused, looking stricken, before she shook her head and continued. "Nevermind, we are running out of time. You and Callum, love and protect each other no matter what. Tell my boys I’m proud of them and that I love them with all of myself.”

Rayla smiled, surprised when tears sprung in her eyes. “Always… and I promise.”

With that, Sarai smiled and began to fade, along with the background, once again plunging Rayla into darkness.

~~~

Rayla woke with a start, scaring Ellis who had gone to check on her. The clearing was silent, the moon casting an eerie glow over everything as it began to sink on the horizon. Lujanne stood off to the side, worry written all over her face. 

“Rayla, are you ok?”

Rayla nodded. “How long was I out?”

“A few hours, you scared us!” Ellis answered. 

“Sorry… wait, is Callum…?” She turned to see Callum slowly waking. “Callum, are you ok?”

He didn’t answer at first, still recovering from his trip into limbo. Even Rayla, whose trip wasn’t near as taxing, still felt tired, but she forced herself to be present. Suddenly, Callum shook his head, eyes widening. He got up quickly, unsteady on his feet, and began walking forward. It was then that Rayla noticed the three bodies now lying in the temple, unconscious. 

It was her parents, Callum had done it! She quickly got up and followed him over to where they lay. Her mom and dad lay together, beaten and bruised, but ok. Runaan looked worse. He had clearly been in a difficult battle before he had been sentenced to those wretched coins. Rayla shuttered when she saw one of his horns had been broken off. The arm that had the assassin’s binding wrapped around it was now black. It would no doubt have to be amputated. 

Rayla’s heart broke. She couldn’t help but feel that his condition was her fault. Callum seemed to judge what she was thinking immediately and wrapped her in a tight embrace. “None of this is your fault. We’ll get nowhere thinking such things. Right now, all we can do is move forward from here, to stop this from ever happening again.”

She nodded, thankful that Callum always seemed to know what to say to calm her down.

“Come on now.” He urged. “Help me get them to a room, they need rest. “

She nodded, and with Callum, Lujanne, Ellis and Ava’s help, they were able to get them to a more comfortable location. All the while, Rayla couldn’t help but cry, relieved that her family was finally back with her, safe. 

~~~

At the Silvergrove, Ethari’s eyes widened as he watched the flower he long thought gone, slowly rise to the surface. It flickered, the light dim, but it was there! He sunk to his knees, suddenly overwhelmed at the realization. His love, his life, he was ok, and they would finally be back together, soon.

**Author's Note:**

> I know the story seems to end on a cliffhanger, but do not fret, there will be a sequel to this oneshot. I thought about making it another chapter instead, but it deals with something different than this story, and since these stories are about what I like to think will happen in the future seasons, I figured it would be best to tackle that in another oneshot, so look forward to that!


End file.
